Fountain pen



Sept. 26, 1950 H. A. BAUER FQUNTAIN 'REN Filed Jan. 22, 1947 f@ 'Z6/Q.

Patented Sept. 26, 1950 FOUNTAIN PEN Hans A. Bauer, Prairie View, Ill., assignor to Autopoint Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 22, 1947, Serial No. 723,515

The present invention relates to a fountain pen and especially to a novel fountain pen of a unique and simplified construction and comprising a minimum number of parts.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a simplified construction of fountain pen requiring no lling mechanism and thereby eliminating the use of a rubber sack, lever, button or other style of ller device with which fountain pens are now provided.

The invention further comprehends a novel means and mechanism for feeding ink to the pen nib in such manner as to assure va smooth and uniform flow thereto, and to provide an ink reservoir in the barrel affording maximum ink capacity whereby a single filling of the barrel will last for a much longer period of time than with other types of fountain pens employing ink in liquid form.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a novel feed mechanism for controlling theflow of ink to the pen nib and in which there is avoided or substantially eliminated any tendency of the ink to leak.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a fountain pen having a novel feed assembly adapted to retain a relatively small amount of ink or writing fluid providing a primary ink supply, and the hollow encompassing barrel providing a secondary ink supply or reservoir for automatically replenishing the primaryink supply whenever the pen is laid on a desk or replaced in the pocket. In this novel construction and arrangement the primary ink supply alone exerts or applies pressure, while the larger body of ink in the barrel functions merely as an auxiliary supply readily available for replenishing the primary supply in the feed assembly.

In the novel disclosed embodiment, the feed mechanism comprises a unitary assembly including a pin nib and feed bar rigidly mounted and retained in operative position in an elongated tube securely held in a tapered front end or cap threaded into the open end of a hollow barrel, the tube projecting upwardly into the barrel to adjacent the closed end thereof. The upper end of the feed bar is spaced from the end of the tube a distance sufcient to provide a primary ink reservoir having a relatively small capacity but adapted to be replenished from the relatively arge secondary ink supply maintained in the space provided in the hollow barrel encompassing the tube. By making the barrel hollow and of thin-Walled construction, maximum ink capacity is provided.

3 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42.16)

' Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel fountain pen having a primary and a secondary or auxiliary ink supply, the latter for quickly replenishing the primary supply when required. In view of the novel assembly and arrangement of the parts providing the primary and auxiliary supplies, no valve or other mechanism is required for making available the auxiliary supply or for replenishing the primary supply.

The invention further comprehends a fountain pen assembly having a minimum number of parts so constructed and arranged as to materially reduce the cost of producing the fountain pen, radically reduce the possibility or necessity for repair and greatly prolong the life of the assembly. Y

v In the present construction of fountain pen, all forms of filler devices are completely eliminated.` This includes but is not limited to the filler sack, lever or button types of llers now employed.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

The invention further resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change, and comprehends other details, arrangements of parts, features and constructions Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing;

Figure 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the novel fountain pen.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views taken in planes represented by the lines 2--2, 3-3 and 4 4 of Fig. l.

The novel illustrative embodiment of fountain pen I shown in the drawing comprehends a unit assembly 2 comprising a tapered end cap 3, pen nib 4, feed bar 5 and an elongated feed tube 6 mounted within the tapered front end or cap 3, the pen nib and feed bar being securely held therein by means of the elongated tube 6. This tube 6 may be of stainless steel or other noncorrosive material unaffected by the ink or writing fluid.

As shown in Fig. 1, the feed bar 5 formed of any suitable material and provided with a flat 3 surface forming a slot extends a substantial distance into the tube 6 but with its upper or inner end 8 spaced from the upper or inner end 9 of the tube to thereby provide a primary ink reservoir I adapted to contain a quantity of the ink or writing uid sufficient for a predetermined period of continuous writing. Forexample, I find that by making this primary ink reservoir of such capacity as to retain approximately five drops of ink, suflicient writing uid is made available for approximately two hours of continuous writing. Should thatamount of ink become exhausted or only partially used, and the pen is tilted, laid upon a desk or' other sup=v port, or placed in the pocket of the user, this primary ink supply is automatically replenished or refilled to its maximum capacity from the secondary ink reservoir or supplyy Il carried in` the hollow barrel i2.

V"The tapered end'cap 3 is provided with a longitudinal bore i3". adapted to receive the lower end portion te of the tube t enlarged and presstted or otherwise secured within the bore. lThe outer end of the tube is tapered o-r inclined at I5 and thereat abuts againstV a complementary shoulder or stop iti formed adjacent the outer or lower end of the cap 3. Within this enlarged part i4? of the tube is press-fitted the enlarged lower end l1 of the feed bar 5 having a slot i8 aligned with the' longitudinally extending slot 'l and with the shank or' body of the pennib 4 for uniformly feeding thereto. As' shown in Fig. l, the` shank or b'odyof the pen nib l is forced into and retained in the tubev 6 and between` it and the' Yfeed bar 5. By'v mounting the nib in such manner, only the writing poi-nt thereofv is exposed. Y Y

The tapered cap 3 with the pen nib 4, feed bar 5 and tube Si rigidly or permanently mounted therein and assembledtherewith as a complete unit to form the end assembly 2, is provided with a reduced threaded male end i9 adapted to be assembled in the threaded female end 25B of the barrel, the other end 2l of the barrel being closed. Thus the assembled enduni-t 2 may be quickly assembled onto the barrel or disassembled when it is desired to ll the barrel with ink or writing 4 will be apparent that the greater quantity of ink is outside the tube 6 and with only a relatively small quantity of the ink in this tube. Only this small quantity of ink actually in the tube at it applies pressure through the slots 1 and I8 and feed bar 5 upon the pen nib 4, while the remainder or secondary ink supply l retained within the barra i2 and .surrounding the tube 6 is ineffective. V

By limiting the quantity of ink held within the open end of the tube 6 to an amount approximating a maximum of five drops, sufficient ink is made available for substantially two hours of continuous vvriting'. However, when that supply becomes' exhausted or diminished, it may be readily replenished by tilting the pen, or if the fountain pen is laid upon a desk or put back intor the pocket, the primary ink supply i0 in the tube E will be automatically refilled to its maximum capacity.

It is, of course, understood that the usual cap may be provided for enclosing or covering the nib end when not iii-use. However, without such capthe' present device fri-ay be employed as a desk pen withthe nib end adapted to be received in any suitable receptacle.-

The barrel I2 and cap 3 may be formed of any plastic composition or other material suitable for the purpose. When fori-ned of a plastic com-position, the threaded female end 25' of the barrel is preferably formedas a separate internally threaded collar' that is suitably cemented or otherwise affixed to the lower open endl of the barrel.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, it wili be apparent that the presg, pen nib received and anchored within the tube 4 and the feed bar ofa cross section closely confi-uid.- This' fil-ling is accomplished by holding which the cartridge is discarded and with the x barrel retained ininverted position with the open end uppermost, the assembled unit 2 is screwed into the barrel. VIn. this position, the amount of ink supplied to the barrel will be such as to provide a space belowthe open end of the barrel so as to provide an air space in the barrel suiicient to permit proper operation when the cap assembly is applied thereto. Thus when the assembled pen is placed in a vertical or upright position with the cap assembly 2 depending as shown` in Fig, 1, an air space 2'2 will be provided in the barrel, and a limited quantity of ink will be trapped within the primary reservoir l i? in the upper end of the tube 6.

With the fountain pen in writing position,v it

forming to the interior of the tube, said feed bar and encompassing feed tube projecting into the open end of the barrel and spaced from the interior of the barrel whereby the inl supplied to the' barrel collects in the space between the tube and the barrel, the inner end of the feed bar being spaced from the adjacent open end of the tube within the barrel to provide betweenV said ends an ink receptacle' oflimited capacity open at all ti-mes to the interior of the barrel for receiving and retaining a limited quantity of ink supplied to the open end of the tube from the ink in the barrel and replenished therefrom up'on mere tilting of the pen from its normal writingposition.

2. A fountain of two-part construction, one part comprising a hollow barrel open at one end for filling with a' writing flu-id and the other part providing a removablel writing end assembly for the pen, the latter including an elongated tube, a pen nib and a` feed bar mounted within the tube and having a cross section closely oonforming to the interior. of the tube,- the-feed bar and tube being spaced from the interior of the barrel with the upper end of the feed bar stopping short of the upper end of the tube to pro- Vide a, space' therebetween and both projecting a substantial distance into the barrel with the upper open end of the tube open at all times to the interior of the barrel, the space in the barrel surrounding the tube providing a secondary ink reservoir and the space provided in the upper open end of the tube above the upper end of the feed bar providing a primary ink reservoir for containing a, limited quantity of ink and adapted to be replenished from the main ink supply upon mere tilting of the pen from its normal Writing position.

3. A fountain pen comprising a hollow barrel having one end closed and the other end open and providing a receptacle for receiving a, substantial quantity of ink, and a removable nib end assembly including a pen nib, feed bar and hollow tube closely encompassing the feed bar and securely mounted in the open end of and spaced from the interior of the barrel to provide an ink receptacle therebetween, the inner, open end of the hollow tube projecting into the barrel to adjacent to but spaced from the upper closed end thereof and the feed bar extending into the tube 6 through a substantial portion of the length thereof but short of the inner end of the tube to provide an ink reservoir in the tube between the inner end of the feed bar and the inner open end of the tube and maintained in open communication with the barrel, said reservoir receiving a limited quantity of ink from the barrel and upon such limited quantity being used, this reservoir is replenished from the barrel by a mere tilting of the pen.

HANS A. BAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 651,738 Wirt June 12, 1900 1,706,923 Hartline Mar. 26, 1929 2,144,296 Namiki Jan. 17, 1939 

